If you’ve ever reached the end of the month, stared at your TBR, and whispered “I swear I read more than this…” welcome. You are among friends.

January is finally over (thank god), and it somehow felt like five months long. This episode of My Sister’s TBR is our end-of-month wrap-up, which means full transparency: the hits, the misses, the DNFs, the pauses, and the books that emotionally ruined us for at least three business days.

This is a safe space.But also a court of law.And we will be exposing ourselves.

A Quick Vibe Check: January Was… A Lot

Instead of starting with the numbers (because numbers can be rude), we kicked things off with a vibe check. And January reading was a bit of a mess.

Some of us came in hot, convinced we were out of our reading ruts… only for life to step in and say “absolutely not.” Others powered through more than expected, proving once again that mood reading has no rules and no shame.

The moral of the story: reading slumps are normal, pausing books is allowed, and January should mind its business.

The Hits: Books That Carried the Month

Let’s start with the wins! The books that made January worth surviving.

* Bluebird Gold by Devney Perry

This one came out swinging and did not miss. A romantic suspense with strong atmosphere, compelling characters, and just enough mystery to keep you glued to the page. It balanced romance and tension beautifully and felt like the kind of book that reminds you why you love reading in the first place.

If you’re curious about romantic suspense but don’t know where to start, this is a fantastic entry point.

* The Last Father-Daughter Dance by Lisa Wingate

A short story that had absolutely no right to hit as hard as it did.

In under 60 pages, this story managed to deliver heart, depth, and emotional payoff that some full-length novels never achieve. It explores family, memory, aging, and love with such tenderness that it sneaks up on you - in the best way.

Proof that you don’t need hundreds of pages to tell a meaningful story.

* People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Zero surprises here. Still five stars. Still obsessed.

This reread only confirmed what we already knew: Emily Henry knows how to write characters that feel real, relationships that feel earned, and stories that make you want to crawl into the pages and live there.

Friends-to-lovers supremacy, summer vibes in the dead of winter, and a reminder that some authors truly don’t miss.

The Middle Ground: Good, But Complicated

Not every book was a slam dunk and that’s okay!

* 30 Flirty and Forever Alone by Christine Riccio

Fun, charming, early-2000s rom-com energy with a magical realism twist that caught us a little off guard. The characters felt real and messy, the romance was sweet and well paced, and the overall experience was enjoyable - even if the surprise genre elements were a bit jarring at times.

A solid four-star read, especially if you go in knowing what to expect.

* Credence by Penelope Douglas

This one landed firmly in “I don’t know how I feel” territory. Yes, it was spicy. Was it memorable? Unfortunately. But absolutely not a reread.

Some elements worked, others felt uncomfortable or underdeveloped, and the overall experience was… an experience. A three-star rating felt right for a book that kept us conflicted from start to finish.

The Misses: Good Premises, Rough Executions

January also delivered some disappointments. Books that should have worked, but just didn’t.

Across these reads, the issues were consistent:

* Weak emotional buildup

* Flat or underdeveloped characters

* Short formats that didn’t earn the romance

* Missing or incomplete trigger warnings (which matters)

One particular standout issue was the lack of transparency around heavy religious themes in a dark romance. A reminder that trigger warnings are important, especially when a topic plays a major role in the story.

Not every miss was terrible, but they were reminders that a great premise doesn’t always equal a great reading experience. Be sure to check out our episode to hear about all the books!

Featured Read (Spoiler-Free): People We Meet on Vacation

To close out the month, we talked about our January Featured Read without spoilers, saving the full chaos for a separate deep-dive episode.

This book remains a favorite for great reasons:

* Strong dual timelines

* Fully realized characters that actually feel real

* Emotional payoff that actually pays off

Poppy and Alex are proof that friends-to-lovers can be just as devastating (in the best way) as enemies-to-lovers, and Emily Henry continues to be an automatic read author for us.

If she writes it, we will read it. No questions asked.

Wrapping Up January (Finally)

January gave us:

⭐ Multiple five-star reads⭐ A few solid “meh”s⭐ At least one why did I do this to myself book⭐ And a renewed appreciation for mood reading without guilt

As we move forward, all of our Featured Reads this year will be Page-to-Screen adaptations, and we’re already very excited (and nervous) to compare books to their on-screen counterparts.

Keep an eye on our Instagram to see what February’s pick will be - we’ve already hinted very obviously.

Until next time:Read what you want.Pause what you need.And remember that your TBR is not the boss of you. 💚📖

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